Hopkinton district changes off-campus alcohol policy

A change to the high school’s drug and alcohol policy will no longer fault students caught in the presence of - but not actually using - tobacco, drugs or alcohol.

Laura Krantz/Daily News staff

A change to the high school’s drug and alcohol policy will no longer fault students caught in the presence of - but not actually using -tobacco, drugs or alcohol.

The School Committee Thursday night approved the change after high school Principal Evan Bishop explained why it is necessary.

Currently, possession of tobacco, drugs or alcohol by student athletes at any time from the first day of the fall season tryouts through the end of the school year results in a suspension from the team, the handbook says.

The new policy says if a student is not indicated on a police report as being in the possession or under the influence, they won’t be disciplined, even if they are in an environment where alcohol and/or drugs are present.

"Unless there’s an indication in the report that a particular student was under the influence … we’re not going to basically take action against those students," Vice Principal Ashoke Ghosh explained Friday.

He said the school has been stuck battling parents whose children were hanging out in the presence of alcohol, tobacco or drugs, but not using.

Ghosh said they often receive a list of students who were at a party without an indication of which ones were intoxicated. He said the school asked police to breathalyze everyone but police say that takes too long.

The School Committee Thursday also added possession of a toy weapon that resembles a real weapon to the list of inappropriate activities at school.

Administrators said the Center School incident this year, where a 5-year-old was suspended for bringing a toy gun to school, and the "senior assassin" game prompted the change.

Punishment can range from detention to suspension, the new policy says.

Contact Laura Krantz at 508-626-4429 or lkrantz@wickedlocal.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurakrantzmwdn.